One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of One of the Good Ones in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I had to take a two-day break from reading after I made it through the first few pages. My heart had already broken into a million pieces.
A heart-wrenching beginning to a story that cuts to the core. One of the Good Ones is an eye-opening journey that gives voices to those, who have been silenced for far too long.
I am grateful I had the opportunity to read such a rich and powerful story.
The Details
Although One of the Good Ones had a few points of views, I appreciated Happi’s part of the narration the most.
Her emotional struggle not just coming to terms with her sister’s death, but also regarding her place in the family. It makes for a highly complex narrative I could relate to.
I was very invested in her part of the story and wanted to know more about her, her thoughts and feelings.
Reading Kezi’s side of the story, from her perspective intensified the meaning of what happened.
She is not just the character that died off-screen, becoming a statistic. No, the reader has the opportunity to get to know her. To learn and possibly understand her motivations.
There are a handful of other characters that take centre stage throughout One of the Good Ones that are equally compelling and worthy to learn about.
Yet, this brings me to the one of two points I need to address. There were a lot of characters to remember. Some of them didn’t show up until way past the hallway point in the story.
It got a little confusing and frustrating to keep them all apart. It pulled me out of the story as I mentally tried to create a little chart. I tried organizing them into their appropriate columns so that I can continue following the story.
Additionally, the other point I want to make mostly concerns formatting, but I assume this is due to the ARC I received. I’m quite sure this won’t be an issue once the book is ready to be published.
Letters and text messages should be italicized to help with the flow of the narration. And a few more pages breaks, or even just larger paragraphs spaces would help with jumps from scene to scene.
Also, there were a few inconsistencies in the narration. They are minor things, but they had me stop and take a second look.
Furthermore, the writing is very engaging. It was easy to get lost in the story. A very good thing. I just felt that the overall theme of “a good one” was a little too much emphasized throughout all of One of the Good Ones.
The Verdict
Overall, One of the Good Ones should definitely be on the must-read list of 2021. An engaging, heart-wrenching, richly told story that brings a lot of issues to the forefront.
It makes you think. It makes you feel.
I would absolutely recommend it.
About the Authors
MAIKA MOULITE is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s sharpening her skills as a PhD student at Howard University’s Communication, Culture and Media Studies program. Her research focuses on representation in media and its impact on marginalized groups. She’s the eldest of four sisters and loves young adult novels, fierce female leads, and laughing.
MARITZA MOULITE graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. Maritza is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy in under-resourced communities after being inspired to study education from her time as a literacy tutor and pre-k teacher assistant. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
